List of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is a British order of chivalry. It is the world's oldest national order of knighthood in continuous existence and the pinnacle of the British honours system (after the Victoria Cross and George Cross). Its membership is extremely limited, consisting of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales—both being members ex officio and gaining membership upon acceding to one of the titles—and not more than twenty-four full members, or Companions. Male members are known as Knights Companion, whilst female members are known as Ladies Companion. The Order can also include certain extra members (members of the British Royal Family and foreign monarchs), known as Supernumerary Knights and Ladies. The Sovereign alone grants membership to the Order.
Members ex officio
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HM The Queen (1947) (Sovereign since 1952)
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HRH The Prince of Wales KG KT GCB OM AK QSO PC ADC(P) (1958)
Knights and Ladies Companion
Member number | Name | Known for | Year of appointment | Present age |
---|---|---|---|---|
1-(965)[N 1] | ![]() | Former Secretary-General of NATO and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | 1985 | 96 |
2-(973) | ![]() | Former Chief of Defence Staff and Lord Lieutenant of Greater London | 1990 | 92 |
3-(976) | ![]() | Businessman and philanthropist | 1992 | 88 |
4-(977) | ![]() | Banker and businessman | 1994 | 87 |
5-(979) | ![]() | Former Governor-General of Australia and judge | 1994 | 92 |
6-(983) | ![]() | Businessman, yachtsman and former Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk | 1996 | 86 |
7-(986) | ![]() | Former Lord Steward of the Household | 1999 | 81 |
8-(987) | ![]() | Former Chief Scout of the United Kingdom | 1999 | 90 |
9-(988) | ![]() | Former Chief of Defence Staff and Constable of the Tower of London | 2001 | 80 |
10-(989) | ![]() | Former Ambassador, Permanent Secretary to the FCO and Head of the Diplomatic Service | 2001 | 86 |
11-(992) | ![]() | Landowner and former Territorial Army Officer | 2003 | 64 |
12-(993) | ![]() | Former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service | 2003 | 78 |
13-(994) | ![]() | Former Attorney-General and Secretary of State for Wales | 2003 | 84 |
14-(995) | ![]() | Former Prime Minister | 2005 | 73 |
15-(1001) | ![]() | Former Lord Chamberlain and Governor of Gibraltar | 2008 | 79 |
16-(1002) | ![]() | Chairman of the Lord Lieutenants Association | 2008 | 82 |
17-(1003) | ![]() | Former Lord Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court | 2011 | 78 |
18-(1004) | ![]() | Former Chief of Defence Staff | 2011 | 73 |
19-(1005) | ![]() | Former Chief of Defence Staff | 2013 | 66 |
20-(1006) | ![]() | Former Director-General of MI5 | 2014 | 67 |
21-(1007) | ![]() | Former Governor of the Bank of England | 2014 | 68 |
22 | Vacant [N 2] | |||
23 | Vacant [N 3] | |||
24 | Vacant [N 4] |
Royal Knights and Ladies Companion
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The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT OM ONZ GBE AK QSO GCL CC CMM PC PC ADC(P) CD (1947) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
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The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO ADC(P) (1985)
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The Princess Royal LG LT GCVO QSO CD[1][2] (1994)
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The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (1996)
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Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy LG GCVO[1] (2003)
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The Duke of York KG GCVO ADC(P) CD (2006)
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The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO ADC(P) (2006)
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The Duke of Cambridge KG KT ADC(P) (2008)
Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion (also known as Extra Knights and Ladies Companion)
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Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg KG (1972)
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The Queen of Denmark LG GCVO (1979) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
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The King of Sweden KG GCVO (1983) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
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King Juan Carlos I of Spain KG (1988) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
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Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands LG GCVO (1989) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
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The Emperor of Japan KG GCVO (1998)
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The King of Norway KG GCVO (2001) recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain
Officers
- Prelate ex officio: Timothy Dakin, Bishop of Winchester
- Chancellor: The Duke of Abercorn KG
- Registrar ex officio: David Conner KCVO, Dean of Windsor
- Garter Principal King of Arms: Thomas Woodcock CVO FSA DL
- Secretary: Patric Dickinson LVO, Clarenceux King of Arms
- Black Rod: Lt-Gen David Leakey CMG CBE
See also
- List of Knights and Ladies of the Garter (a list of all the members of the Order since its inception)
- Coats of arms of the current members of the Garter
Notes
- ↑ The number shown in brackets is the individual's place in the wider order of appointment since the Order's inception.
- ↑ Vacant following the death of Lord Kingsdown on 24 November 2013.
- ↑ Vacant following the death of Lady Soames on 31 May 2014.
- ↑ Vacant following the death of The Duke of Wellington on 31 December 2014.
References
- 1 2 "Knights of the Orders of Chivalry". Debretts. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
Although HRH The Princess Royal and HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, are both female they are actually included with the Royal Knights Companions and they bear the post-nominal letters KG (not LG).
- ↑ "New appointments to the Order of the Thistle". Royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.